


Restless

by deathbyOTPin123



Series: Oswald and Ed share a bed [3]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Arkham is a bad place, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-09
Updated: 2017-12-09
Packaged: 2019-02-12 15:12:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12962160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deathbyOTPin123/pseuds/deathbyOTPin123
Summary: Ed keeps having nightmares after his release from Arkham. Oswald tries to comfort him.





	Restless

Arkham was hell. 

Mold covered walls, dreary hallways, the smell of antiseptic mixing with the smell of filth and despair. Starchy clothes, communal showers, cold rooms, and, worst of all, bland food. Ed hated every minute of it. He hated his sessions with doctors. He hated the group sessions. He hated the medicine, so he faked taking it.

Being locked up with murderous, unpredictive lunatics was horrible on its own. Strange’s actions amplified the situation tenfold. During his time there, Ed has managed to wade his way through the different psychosis each inmate had and gain control over some of them. Still that wasn’t enough. Some were so far gone no amount of reasoning, if it could be called that, and negotiation would bring out wanted results. The memory of being within an inch from a ravenous cannibal was still vivid in his mind.

Sometimes he wished he had been admitted to Blackgate. Yes, it was not much better than Arkham. There would still be chance someone might kill him and with his constitution he would probably get raped sooner or later. But at least no one would try to eat him. 

He still had nightmares of the place, even as he lay in silken sheets of Oswald’s guest room. His room now. He would toss and turn, dreaming of those yellow, sharp teeth sinking into his flesh. Blood trickling down his body as he was feasted on alive.

Sometimes he dreamt of showing up at the precinct and everyone would point at him whispering how he was crazy. And at the end of the room, there would be Kristen, dark bruises around her neck, pointing her severed hand at him and calling him a murderer. Dougherty standing beside her with guts spilling out of his stomach on the floor. Jim would yell how he’d lock him up for good. And Lee… She would give him the look that screamed “I feel sorry for you”. 

And sometimes… Sometimes he would just walk among them like a ghost. Trying to scream and yell how he was there, how he wanted them to notice him. Yet nothing would come out. Everyone would behave as if he wasn’t there. Not giving him a single glance.

It was after one of the nightmares that he woke up with a start, wailing in the darkened room. Tears streaked down his face. 

Steady hands pushed him down into the mattress. He clinged onto them, his vision focusing on his surroundings. The now familiar room with the queen size bed. He panted as he relaxed, someone shushing him in a suiting tone. Ed couldn’t quite make out his face as it was cast in shadow from the light coming from the hallway, but he could recognise Oswald anywhere. 

“It was just a bad dream.” He told him and Ed nodded, panting and shaking, as he tried to calm down. “It’s over now. You’re  _ safe _ .” 

“I’m so sorry.” He sighed, his breath evening out. He only then realised that Oswald was in his pajamas, his hair sticking out in every direction. He got woken by Ed screaming.

“Over what? You can’t control your dreams.” Oswald scoffed. For the sake of his friend, he tried to sound assuring but he was worried. Ed was worn out from his nightmares. They would meet for breakfast and Oswald could see the haunted look in his eyes. It would disappear by the time they’d empty their plates. Ed would be fine until the night. Then the cycle would begin anew.

“True.” Ed huffed out in a nervous laughter. He let go of Oswald to wipe his face. 

“Better?”

“Yes. Thank you.” He gave a weak smile. Oswald smiled back, getting ready to stand up. 

“Um…” came the voice from the bed. He turned to it, still standing close, half illuminated by the light. Ed was looking at him with a furrowed brow. “Do you think you could… stay?” He was fiddling with the edge of the blanket. 

“Sure.” Oswald reassured him. He closed the door and moved to the chair, planning to sit there until his friend fell back asleep.

“I meant… Maybe…?” He gripped the covers. Oswald looked at him with raised eyebrows. When Ed bit his bottom lip and looked to the side of the bed his lips formed an “oh” as he realised what the question was.

“Of course.” He hobbled to the bed while Ed scooted over to the other side and lifted the covers. Soon they were lying side by side, their shoulders brushing under the shared blanket. “Goodnight, friend.”

“Goodnight.” Ed replied. He looked to the side. Oswald was now close enough so he could see his face without his glasses on. His eyes were closed, his eyelashes brushing his skin. This close he could see the small creases near his eyes. He looked relaxed, but he wasn’t asleep yet. They lay still for a while before he spoke again. “It was Arkham.” 

Oswald opened his eyes and looked back at him. He was the only one that could understand him, Ed thought. They both shared horrible memories of the place.

He never said this to anyone, but what hurt the most, out of everything that happened in Arkham, was that Ed was surrounded by  _ stupid _ . He saw Strange as the only person in that whole complex that he could talk to on the same level. Yet the man ignored him. He only called for him that one time, when young Bruce and Mr Fox needed to be questioned. He had given Ed hope, only to take it away within a few hours, when he had no more use for him. Like almost every other person in Ed’s life.

After the fiasco with Strange was over, Arkham went back to its default state. The inmates were still very much crazy and the doctors very much helpless still. At least no one was reanimating corpses into monsters in the basement anymore. Chaos ruled while a new warden was appointed. It continued ruling even after that. Ed tried approaching him in hopes of a civil conversation. He was shut down promptly. 

In the end, he gave up and unless ordered otherwise, he sat in his room staring at the wall. Afloat in his misery. 

On one of such days, a guard stepped to the door of his cell. He announced Ed had a visitor and ushered him into the common room. He wondered who it could be. Maybe Gordon and Bullock needed his help, or someone else from GCPD. Certainly, no one has come there just for him. Saddest part? Ed was ready to take them up on the offer just to have something,  _ anything _ occupy his mind.

He couldn’t contain his surprise upon seeing none other than Penguin sitting at a table, waiting for someone. He smiled upon seeing Ed and stood up to greet him. He was back to himself, Ed soon figured out, no more the nice nuisance that showed up at his door not that long ago. And he was there for him - for Edward Nygma. They fell into friendship again, using the best out of the hour they had at their disposal. 

Ed wasn’t sure why, but Oswald kept coming back. He asked him about it once, when he sprung him out of Arkham. 

“You’re the only person that’s on the same intellectual level as me. The only one I can have a meaningful conversation with,” Oswald simply replied. Ed told him he felt the same and they continued to enjoy their dinner and wine together.

Now they lay there in darkness in the middle of the night, looking at each other. 

“If I could go back, I’d tear the place down to get you out.” Ed listened to the words. Few months ago, they would have been a complete lie. He knew Oswald got him out just because he needed him. At that point, their friendship wasn’t as strong as it was today. They had their disagreements but Oswald gave him a chance and he proven himself. For the first time in their lives they each had someone to call their best friend.

“I know. I just wish it would stop.” he looked up at the ceiling. 

“I want you to know I’m against this but, have you considered taking something? I’m worried for you, Ed.” His voice came out cincere. It was one of the rare occasions Oswald didn’t sound dramatic or needy.

“I don’t like them. They mess with my mind.” He could feel the bed dip as his friend turned to him. “I tried drinking myself to sleep but you know how I get when I’m drunk.” They both laughed at that. 

“You’re insufferable.”

“Hey!” He swatted Oswald with his hand. “It wasn’t that bad, last time.”

“ _ Last time _ , no. Before that?” Their giggles slowly dissolved into silence. Oswald cleared his throat before speaking again. “Remember when we talked at your place, for the first time? How we agreed that relationships are the worst thing that can happen to people like us?” 

“I still believe in that.” Ed fully turned to him.

“I-I know. And I  _ agree _ . Fully. But.” Speaking about this was never easy for him. “Perhaps. Just thinking out loud. Perhaps I could hire a nice girl for you, so you... could…” Ed was propped up on his elbow now. “...relieve some tension.” Oswald finished with a forced smile. Ed was speechless.

“I…” He stopped to swallow and gather his thoughts.

“What I meant was, if you want to. I mean, Jim,” Ed’s eyebrow rose at that, “Gordon, does it all the time. Not with the prostitutes! But still! And some guys that work for me use sex to relax.” Oswald was fidgeting as he spoke. 

“You would do that for me?” Ed interrupted him.

“I would do anything for you.” He blurted out without thinking. Those were serious words.

“I don’t want a prostitute.”

“Oh. Would torturing and killing someone help?”

“No.” Ed said, amused. Oswald was clearly intent on doing his best to comfort him. He lowered himself back on the pillow. 

“What then?”

“What I want the poor have, the rich want, and if you eat it you will die.” When he was met with a blank stare for a long time, he answered it himself. “Nothing. I want nothing.” 

Oswald huffed out in frustration.

“Well…” These words coming from Ed gave him hope. “Maybe just this.” He gestured between them with a sad smile. It couldn’t be seen in the dark but he was blushing. “Just having someone who cares,” he finished with a whisper. 

In the blink of an eye, he was pulled into a tight hug, his head now resting on Oswald’s shoulder. 

“I’m here for you, Ed. Always.” The words were punctuated with a quick kiss to his temple. He knew it was chaste yet a part of his mind wandered in the other direction.

“Thank you.” He nuzzled into the shoulder. He could hear Oswald’s heart hammering through his collarbone, even though their limbs were relaxed now. Whatever it was, it would have to wait until morning, he decided. For now, he was content to lay in Oswald’s arms, somewhere in the back of his mind pretending he could stay like this forever.


End file.
